The terminology used to describe the histopathology of chronic hepatitis has been recently updated. Terms used previously such as chronic persistent hepatitis, chronic active hepatitis and chronic lobular hepatitis have been discontinued in favor of a schema give a grade of inflammatory activity and stage of fibrosis.
Grading of Inflammatory Activity
Grade |
Portal Inflammation |
Lobular Inflammation |
0 |
none or minimal |
none |
1 |
portal inflammation |
inflammation but no necrosis |
2 |
mild limiting plate (piecemeal) necrosis with mild periportal inflammation |
mild inflammation with focal necrosis or acidophilic bodies |
3 |
moderate limiting plate (piecemeal) necrosis |
moderate inflammation with severe focal damage |
4 |
severe limiting plate (piecemeal) necrosis |
severe diffuse hepatocellular damage with bridging necrosis |
Staging the Degree of Fibrosis
Stage |
Fibrosis |
0 |
no fibrosis (normal connective tissue) |
1 |
fibrosis confined to enlarged portal tracts |
2 |
periportal fibrosis, or rare portal-to-portal fibrous septa but intact lobular architecture |
3 |
septal fibrosis with architectural distortion but no obvious cirrhosis (regenerative nodules, etc.) |
4 |
cirrhosis |
Purpose: To grade the severity of involvement and stage the degree of fibrosis in chronic hepatitis.
Specialty: Gastroenterology, Infectious Diseases
Objective: severity, prognosis, stage
ICD-10: K73.9, K73.0, K73.1, K73.2,